Art of making shoes



Aug 16, 1932- H. A. OSBORNE ART OF MAKING SHOES Filed April 25, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet /M/E/v TUR-' H. A. osBoRNE 1,872,325

ART OF MAKING SHOES Aug. 16, 1932.v

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 25, 1928 /NvE/VTUR.

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Aug. 16, 1932- H. A. OSBORNE ART OF MAKING SHOES Filed April 25, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 metatarsal arch of the foot.

facture of such shoes it has been customary Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATEN'E oFFIcEA ,HAROLD A. OSBOBNE, 0F LYNN, ISSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED SHOE MA- CHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATEBSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OE NEW JERSEY' Application filed April 25,

This invention relates to improvements in the art of making shoes and is herein set forth with particular referencezto the manufacture of shoes havingspecial provision for supporting the metatarsal arch of the foot.

In a. shoe of the special character indi-v cated, the insole is formed with a bulge or protuberance so located and constructed as to lie beneath and provide su port for the n the manuto mold the bulge in the insole before applying the insole to the last and thereafter to place the molded insole upon a last hav- 1li'ing in its bottom surface a cavity or depression corresponding in shape and location to the shape and location of the protuberance or bulge already formed in the insole so as to receive the bulge in a manner 2 to avoid flattening it or altering its shape during the subsequent operations of making the shoe. It has been proposed to mold the bulge simultaneously with the molding of the rest of the insole to fit the transverse and longitudinal curvatures of the last bottom,

3p ofthe insole. In making metatarsal arch -supporting shoes commercially, however, it is necessary to have the larch supporting bulge properly located in all insoles irrespective of variations in size, width and style of' insole and it is often desirable also, in different shoes of the same size, width and style, to provide different degrees of bulge to adapt the shoes for dierent degrees of foot arch or diierent peculiarities of foot structure. This would involve the use of a greater number of molds' for a given run o sizes than would be required if the molds were adapted to perform only the usual sole molding operation, it being practicable and customary in the latter case to use the same mold for at least several different sizes and widths of soles. Consequently, the proposed method of molding the arch supporting bulge would be relatively expensive to carry out.

.ABT 0F KLRING SHOES 1928. Serial No. 272,781.

and thereafter displacing the insole latwise to form a metatarsal arch supporting bulgev therein while holding the sole margin against edge'wise displacement at opposite sides ofthe area where the bulge is being for-med.v As illustrated, the insole is placed upon a last-` having a cavity in its bottom surface, and thereafter the insole is forced into said cavity to form an arch supporting protuberance on the insole. The cavity in the illustrated l'ast bottom is located to correspond to the loca-v tion ofthe metatarsal area of the Afoot and is shaped according to the contour desired to be imparted to the protuberance on the insole, thus positively insuring that the protuberance will be accurately located and properly 1 shaped in each individual sole.

As well known in the art, it is frequently desirable -to have an insole molded to in-v surethat it will fit better upon the last and, in accordance with the present method as herein exemplified, the insole, before the arch supporting bulge is formed therein, is molded between complemental dies or molds shaped to impart to the insole a surface contour corresponding to that of the last bottom errcept at that portion where the cavityv 1s f formed. Preferably after the insole has been placed upon the last, an upper is assem bled with the insole and the upper is lasted andits margin is secured to the insole, In the drawings the present method is illustrated as being carried out in connection with the manufacture of welt shoes and according-- ly there is shown an insole having a sewing rib to which the upper is secured by inseam stitches in the usual way. However, the inthearch supporting bulge is formed, the marginal portions of the insole will be positively held so that they cannot move inwardly while the insole is being forced into the cavity in the last. Consequently, the material of the insole will be actually stretched by the bulgeforming pressure and the process of forming the bulge will not result in any narrowing of the sole at the shank or in otherwise altering the shape or marginal contour of the sole. Where the sole materialis actually stretched, as above described, and as distinguished from merely being shaped b'y the usual molding operation, the ber'softhe leather will be permanently distorted in such fashion that the bulge will tend to retainindefinitely the shape initially imparted toit.

The foregoing and other aspects of the in'- vention will be set forth in the following description and pointed out in the appended claims. l

The invention willbe explained with reference to the, accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view, partially in side elevation and partially in section, of a pair of complevlmental sole molds illustrating their mode off operation upon a sole;

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross-sectional views taken respectively along the lines II-II and III-III of Fig. l;

Fig.f4 is a perspective View showing the grainor foot-engaging surface of an insole as it appears after the insole has been shaped by the molds shown in Figs. 1 to 3; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a molded insole .illustrating conventionally the manner of applying adhesive to the channel lips beforel the lips are turned; Y

Fig. 6 is a view showing, in side elevation, the operating instrumentalities of an insole lip turnin machine and illustrating the operation o lips; l l I F1g. 7 is a perspective view of a molded insole showing the ilesh or lipped side of the insole as it appears after the lips have been turned and cemented together in upright 4positionto form a sewing rib;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a last having a cavity inits bottom face adapted to form a metatarsal arch supporting bulge in an insole;

Fig'. 9 is a perspective viewof a last like that shown in Fig. 8 having a molded insole laid thereon; f

Fig. 1x0 is aflongitudinal sectional view of a shoe as it appears after the insole and the turning and setting the channelupper have been united by inseam stitches,

illustrating the operation of peening the insole into the cavity in the last bottom to form the metatarsal arch supporting bulge;

Figs. 12 and 13 are cross-sectional views taken respectively along the lines XII-XII of Fig. 10 and XIII-X111 of Fig. 11;

Figs. 14 and 15 are perspective views of a shoe mounted on a last illustrating different stages in the manufacture ofthe shoe prior to the attachment of the outsole;

Fig. 16 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the bottom of a finished shoe in thei vicinity of-the arch supporting bulge; an

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional .view through the same portion of the shoe as that shown in Fig. .16. V

In carrying out the method of the present.

invention as herein illustrated with reference to the manufacture of welt shoes, an insole 2 is first channeled inthe usual manner to provide inner and outer channel lips 4 and 6. Before the channel lips are raised or turned, the insole is moistened or tempered and is then molded in a sole molding machine between complemental dies or molds 8 and 10 (Figs. 1 to 3). Themold members 8 and l0' are shaped to impart to the insole the longitudinal and transverse curvatures shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The sole is thus formed with a surface contour (see Fig. 4) similar to that .customarily provided in molded insoles wherein no special provision is made for supporting the metatarsal arch. .As shown, the shank portionl of the insole is more or less abruptly offset from the plane of the forepart'and is made transversely concave and longitudinally convex on its upper or foot-engaging side, the more closely to conform to the general shape of the bottom of a foot without, however, at this stage in its manufacture, having any'upward bulgev or (protuberance in that portion which is to un erlie the metatarsal arch.

After remaining under pressure between the mold members 8 and 10 for a suicient period of time to insure that the sole is properly molded, the sole is removed from the mold and the channel lips are raised to form.

and pressing them together may conveniently be performed by means of a lip turning machine such as that disclosed in United tates Letters Patent No. 1,576,748, granted March 16, 1926, on application of A. E. Johnson. In- Fig. 6 some of the operating instrumentalities of this atented machine have been shown inv operatlon upon the insole 2, the lip setting rolls being indicated at 16 and 18, and the feed roll at 20. If desired, the sewing rib 14 may be reinforced by means of canvas or other material (not shown which material may be applied in any wellnown manner. A

The insole is next laid upon the bottom of a last, such as the last 22 shown in Fi in its bottom surface near the junction of the shank and forepart of the last. y

The depressed portion of the last bottom within the cavity 24 is adapted tov serve as a form to determine the contour of a lmetatarsal arch supporting bulge or protuberance which is to be formed in the insole. To this end, the' cavity 24 is preferably formed as shown in the drawings inasmuch as an insole bulge of a corresponding shape has beenl found best adapted to support the metatarsal arch of the average foot. As shown in Fig. 8

. the cavity 24 is preferably bounded by a sharply defined continuous line 25 where the depressed surface somewhat abruptly terminates. This construction insures that the bulge in the insole will have a similar clearly defined line marking its junction with the adjacent surface of the insoles and thus accentuate the bulge, making it readily noticeable as a distinctive feature of the shoe without disadvantageously affecting the arch supporting properties of the'bulge. The particular contour and marginal shape ofthe bulge in the insole, and consequently of the cavity in the last, may of course be varied as found to be expedient without departmg from the spirit of the invention. In practice it may be found desirable to varyboth the shape and the size of the bulge according-to the particular style of last emplo ed, and not olly this but for a given style o last it may be desirable to provide different degrees of bul e to adapt the shoes for different degrees of oot arch or different peculiarities of foot structure. In this connection it may also be noted that if thepbulge were to be molded simultaneously with the molding ofthe rest of the sole as heretofore proposed, not only might it be desirable or necessary to employ a different mold for each size, width and style ofv last .but also a plurality of molds might be requiredytoprovide for the abovementioned variations in degree or shape of bulge in a given style of shoe.

After being laid in proper position upon the last theinsole is secured in place as by means of tacks 26; An upper 28 is then assembled with the insole on the last and lasted 8 9. and 10, this last having a cavity 24 ormed over the margin of the insole in the usual way. Next, the upper is permanently secured to the insole by the usual inseaming operation. At this stage in its manufacture the shoe appears as shown in Fig. 10, the inseam stitching being` indicated at 30 as securing the upper 28, together with a welt 32, to the sewing rib 14 of the insole. As a result of the lasting and inseaming operations not only is the sole held firmly in place upon the last but, being stitched to the tightly stretched upper, the sole is firmly and positivelyheld in such a manner that it can not be shifted edgewise nor the sole margins displaced by any action which may subsequently be performed upony the sole.

At this stage in the manufacture of the shoe the me'tatarsal arch supporting bulge is formed by forcing the portion of the insole overlying the cavity 24 into the cavity and preferably into intimate en agement with the walls of the cavity. As il ustra'ted, the forcing of the insole into the 4cavity 24 may beeffected manually by means of blows delivered by a hammer such as the peening hammer shown at 34 in Fig. 1l, so that the insole material is actually beaten or pounded into the cavity 24. When acted upon in this 'manner the insole material is caused accurately to conform to the contour of the walls of the cavity 24. Moreover, since the sole margins are positively held against edgewise shifting movement, none of the sole material outside the boundary of the cavity in the last bottom can be drawn into the cavity by the bulge forming pressure to provide excess material to produce the bulge. Consequently the bulge will be produced by actual stretching of the sole material. Such stretching causes permanent distortion of the fibers of the leather with the result that the shape initially imparted to the bulge will tend to be indefinitely retained. The manner in which the insole is stretched by the action of the hammer 34 will be apparent from `a comparison of Figs. 12 and 13. In Fig. 12 the insole is shown as bridging the cavity 24, whereas in Fig. 13 the same portion o the insole is shown as being conformed to the walls of the cavity by the peening action of the hammer 34 so as to form a s ubstantial bulge or protuberance 36.

By using the wall of the cavity in the last to determine the shape of the arch su porting bulge a substantial saving in cost o manufacture can be effected inasmuch as the losv molds which shape the rest of the insole do not have to be provided with additional comf that even when the bul ges are formed by the sole molds the'lasts have to be provided with cavities to receive these bulges while the shoes are being made. Accordingly the formation of the cavities in the lasts used in the` practice of the present method does not add to the expense of making the soles or the shoes. Moreover, by utilizin the cavity in the last for the purpose offy forming the bulge afterr the insole has been secured to in Fig. 10. '101 the filler piece 40. As shown, the rear en stiifener 44 is applied, preferably with th kthe last, the location of the bulge in the shoe is positively and accuratelydetermined.

,In making shoes under commercial conditions in accordance with the hereln-descrlbed method various operations will be pery formed upon a quantity of soles. The shoes will be made up in case lots and a quantity of shoe parts or ,partially completed shoes will be subjected in turn to each successive 'step of the method. As a result, the insoles may become more or less out l of temper before it becomes time for the arch supporting bulge to be formed therein. Consequently, for practical purposes/it may often be 'desirable to moistenA that portion of the insole where the bulge 'is to be formed immediately before it is forced into the cavity in the last. Thislo'cal moistening or tempering of the insole may conveniently be per, formed by means of a wet sponge 38 as show/n beheld in place by any other suitable means such as cement. After the filler piece 40 has' -been secured in place, the space inside of the inseam 'is filled as by means of the usual filling material 42 (Fig. 15) and a'shank forward extremity of the stiener overlyin only of the shank stiener is secured by tacks 46 to the'innersole, the forward por-V tion of the stiffener being left unscrewed so as to impar-t resilience to the shank portion of the shoe. The filler piece 40 is intended substantially to ill tobespace -heightwise of the shoe between thei'shank stifener andthe insole to provide a firm support for the bulgel 36. After theshank stiffenerhas been applied the shoe is ready to have -the outsole secured to the welt and the shoemay then be finished in the usual manner. 4

While the invention has been disclosed herein in connection With themanufacture of welt shoes it is not necessarily so restricted in its application but, as hereinbefore indicated may also be useful in connection with the manufacture of other kinds of shoes.

placement at opposite sides of thearea where the bulge is being formed.

2. That improvement in methods ot making shoes which comprises placing an insole upon alast having a cavity in its bottom face, assembling affupper with the insole on the last, lasting the upper and securing its margin to the insole, forcing the insole into lthe cavity in the last bottom to form an arch supporting bulge on the inside of the shoe', and laying an outsole and securing it to the shoe in the usual manner.

' 3. That improvement in methods ofmak- 'ing shoes which comprises placing an insole\ upon Va last having a cavity in its bottom face, assembling an upper with the insole on the last, lasting the upper and securing its margin to the insole, and thereafter forcing the 1nsole into the cavity in the last bottom to form ,1

a bulge on the inside of the shoe,assembling within the cavity in the outery face of the insole iiller material for supporting said bulge, and then laying and securingan out#- sole to the shoe in the usual manner.

4. That improvement in methods 'of mak-- ing shoes which comprises moldingy an insole to impart`thereto the usual transverse and longitudinal curvatures, placing the molded insole upon a last provided with a cavity in -itsbottom face, assembling an upper upon the last,.lasting and securing the margin of .the upper to the insole, thereafter beating the insole into the cavity linthe last to form a and then laying and securing the outsole o the shoe in the usual manner. l

5. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises placing an in. sole upon a last having a cavity in its bottom Y .bulge oi" projection on the inside of the shoe, 'iil'ling the caiity in the outer face of the inlll face, assembling an upper upon the last, lasting the upper and securingaits margin to the "insole, and thereafter pressing the insole into the cavity in the last bottom to form a=.

.bulge on the foot engaging surface of the in^.

sole and a corresponding depression in the opposite side of the insole, and inserting a filler within said depression to prevent col- 'lapse of the bulge under pressure of a foot in the shoe.

6. That improvement in methods of making shoes which comprises forming a sewing rib upon an insole, placing the insole upon a last having a cavity in its bottom face, assembling an upper upon the last, lasting and incorresponding depression in the opposite side of the insole. I 7. That improvement in methodsof making shoes which comprises channeling an insole, molding the insole before the channel lips are raised to impart thereto the usual transverse and longitudinal contours of a last bottom, raising and setting the channel lips to form ya sewing rib, attaching the insole 'to'a last having a cavity or depression in its bottom face located in a position to corl respond with the metatarsal area 'of the foot,

assembling an upper upon the last, lasting and inseaming the upper, thereafter beating the material of the insole into the cavity in the last, thus forming a depression in one side of the 'insole and a corresponding bulge ,upon the opposite side of the insole, filling. the

- space inside the inseam including said depression in the insole, laying the outsole, and completing the shoe in the usual manner.

8. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in channeling an insole, molding the insole to impart thereto the transverse and longitudinal contours of` a last bottom` thereafter raising and setting the channel lips toform a sewing rib, attaching the insole to a last having a cavity" in its bottom face located in the vicinity of 'the ball line of the last. assembling an upper upon the last, lasting the upper, performing the inseaming operation, thereafter shaping the material of the insole into the cavity in the last bottom, thus .forming a depression in one side of the insole and a corresponding bulge upon the opposite side of the insole, filling said depression at least partially with solid filling material, applying a steel shank stiffener to the shoe with the forward end of thevstifener overlying the filled .depression in the insole, illingthe bottom of the shoe, laying the outsole, and completing the shoe in the usual manner. A r

9. That improvement in methods of making shoes which consists in placing an insole upon a last provided with a cavity in its bottom face, assembling an upper upon the ast, lasting and securing the margin of the l 'upper to the insole, and thereafter meistentudinal curvatures imparted to the insole, positively securing the lateral margins of the insole atopposite sides of said cavit against inward edgewise displacement, an

while the insole is so secured, forcing the portion of the insole overlying .said cavity into engagement lwith the walls of the cavity to form an arch supporting bulge in the insole without altering the edge contour of tle sole margin.

In testimony whereof I have signed myv name to this specification. .l

HAROLD A. OSBORNE. 

